Freedom Movement Rally this weekend in support of those marching for democracy in Iran.
2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Flag Plaza, Liberty State Park
Bayone, New Jersey
Saurday: June 27th,2009
Time: 2pm
Questions: 202- 470-3272
IRANIANS ASK AMERICANS TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR FREEDOM MOVEMENT
Rally Scheduled Saturday in New Jersey’s Liberty Park
Most Americans don’t know the significance of Derafsh Kaviani.
But they do know the significance of their own Statue of Liberty, powerful symbol of freedom to both those born here and those seeking a new home.
On Saturday an international Iranian group seeking freedom for Iran is asking Americans to gather with them near Lady Liberty to show their support for Iran as group members unfurl and fly their own potent symbol of freedom, unity, and defiance against oppression, the ancient flag known as the Derafsh Kaviani.
The flag, royal standard of the Sassanid Emperors which has been repressed since Muslim invaders conquered Iran about 600 A.D., represents Iranian independence and resistance against foreign tyranny, according to Babak Iran, spokesman for the Council of Iranian Cultural Renaissance which is sponsoring the rally. Iranians will gather from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Flag Plaza, Liberty State Park, in Bayone, New Jersey, and are appealing to Americans to join them.
The rally will begin with the flying of the Derafsh Kaviani over the Statue of Liberty; the plane will fly the flag after first tipping its wings above the site of the former Twin Towers in tribute to the Americans who died there at the hands of terrorists on September 11, 2001.
“We’d like to fill the park with 50,000 people, with Americans from all walks of life who support freedom and abhor the repression going on in Iran,” Babak Iran said. He said the group especially hopes for the support of young Americans, since large numbers of young Iranians are braving the wrath of Iranian authorities to stand up for their freedom. He cited Neda Soltan, the 27-year-old Iranian woman who has become a symbol of the movement for freedom after being killed last week in Tehran while peacefully protesting.
“The
Derafsh Kaviani is our call to arms—it’s always been flown when Iran was in
trouble. It dates back to 4,600 B.C. and is our symbol of freedom and unity,” he
said. “We raise this flag now to call on Iranians to renew their pride in their
ancient culture and to rise once more, as their ancestors rose against legendary
demons and conquerors, to establish an Iranian nation that is truly
free.”
Many Iranians do not know the deep significance of their own flag,
since they were children at the time of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and have not
been permitted to learn about their history under the brutal repression of the
current regime, Iran said. But the nation of Iran, once known as Persia, is home
to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and
urban settlements dating back to 7000 B.C. Unlike other Middle Eastern peoples,
Iranians have managed to keep their own national identity and language, he
added.
Babak Iran worries that many Americans may have a distorted view of
Iran, confusing the attitudes of the people with the iron rule of the Islamic
theocracy.
“Iran has always been a friendly country with no desire to attack
other countries. The policies of aggression are the policies of the Islamic
theocracy, not the Iranian people. Iranians are decent, freedom-loving people
who want stability for themselves, their region, and their world. I implore
Americans to show the Iranian people they stand with us by attending Saturday’s
rally. When young Iranians halfway around the world see that Americans have
gathered under the Statue of Liberty to stand with them and the Derafshe
Kaviani, it encourages them to fight on. What’s more, it causes the Mullahs and
their henchmen to tremble, because they know that Iranians want to be
free.”
Iran said the Council would welcome volunteers who can aid the group
in any way, either by helping to organize Saturday’s rally or helping with
future activities.
“We know how Americans feel about their freedom—we ask
their help in fighting for our own.”
